Radisson Blu Glasgow embarks on major sustainability project

Radisson Blu Glasgow is set to launch an “ambitious” plan to phase out gas usage within its 247-room hotel as a participant in a wider green climate transition project worth around £25m. The three-year programme follows significant investment from Radisson Blu Glasgow’s Swedish owning company, Pandox AB, to help reduce the venue’s impact on the environment by cutting out gas usage using science-based targets. The next three years will see a new heat pump system installed to regulate temperature within the venue, designed to be 1.5x more efficient than using gas and is estimated to result in at least a 32% reduction in CO2 emissions. Alongside seven other hotel venues spanning the UK and Europe owned by Pandox, the total investment to future-proof Radisson Blu Glasgow and its sister properties totals around £25m, with the Glasgow venue receiving over £600,000. The hotel is also introducing motion sensor and energy efficient lighting, an AI-powered food waste analytics system, and market-leading software ‘Go Green PMI’ designed to provide tailored recommendations on resource management. The hotel will also implement Klimato, an analytics system to calculate the carbon footprint of each menu item and provide recommendations for improvement. The team has created a “significant” reduction in the use of environmentally damaging chemicals after switching to Enozo’s aqueous ozone cleaning products, with an aim to replace the remaining chemicals with Eco-labelled alternatives by the end of Q1. Additional measures underway include specialised Nespresso capsule recycling; replacing plastic water bottles with glass, staff sustainability training sessions, GreenKey and renewed BREEAM certification. It is estimated that these new initiatives will save around £2.5m per year, equivalent to an average ROI of 11%, and reduce CO2 emissions by at least 42%. Hina Rubbani-Mills, general manager of Radisson Blu Glasgow, said: “In an industry where indulgence is often perceived as the hallmark of excellence, finding the perfect harmony between a premier guest experience and a commitment to environmental responsibility can be challenging. This is why it is great that Pandox have enabled their hotels to have dedicated in-house sustainability coaches, who can focus solely on driving environmental progress within the hotel. “While the implementation of new green initiatives will significantly reduce our carbon footprint, it is my hope that by inspiring behavioural changes within the staff, pursuing further projects, and communicating our efforts to our guests, that we will continue to do our part in reshaping the industry’s approach to sustainability. This substantial investment is a testament to our dedication to the issue, positioning us well to meet our group’s target emissions in alignment with the Paris Accords by the year 2030.”